The Guatemalan based National Commission of Protected Areas (CONAP) has proposed the formation of a joint force commission with Belize’s Friends of Conservation and Development (FCD) to manage the Chiqiubul Maya Mountains.

FCD, CONAP and several other Guatemalan-based organizations that a have vested interest in the area met on Thursday, October 18.

Director of the FCD, Rafael Manzanero, explained that the invitation was extended by Guatemala to collaboratively manage the area because the countries share the Chiquibul Maya Mountains.

CONAP, which has in its five-year management plan provisions that such a commission be formed, met with the FCD to begin to draft the frame work of how the commission would operate.

Manzanero describes the meeting as productive, stating that Guatemala shares the aspiration with Belize to protect the environment.

They agreed to extend full cooperation with Belize to work in unison to achieve this goal, he said.

CONAP will meet with other institutions in Guatemala on this matter, after which both FCD and CONAP will meet again on Friday, November 26, to determine what to do next.